Countries agreed Wednesday to new limits on the international trade in African hornbills.
Countries agreed Wednesday to new limits on the international trade in African hornbills. The spectacular birds, which play a key role in African forest ecosystems, are threatened by the growing global sale of hornbill parts.
The new restrictions were agreed to at a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species now underway in Uzbekistan. A coalition of African states had proposed listing seven species of African hornbill under Appendix II of the convention, a move intended to lead to greater regulation and monitoring of the international hornbill trade, with the aim of ensuring the birds’ continued survival in the wild.
The new protection comes after reporting from Yale Environment 360 detailed the burgeoning global trade in African hornbill skulls and beaks, as well as stuffed and live birds. The e360 report, which was distributed to delegates at the CITES meeting, revealed a surge in online listings and international shipments, with poachers in some regions reporting that growing interest from foreign buyers is leading to increased hunting of hornbills.
Read more at: Yale Environment 360
Photo Credit: LeeChandler via Pixabay
